On Monday, Harper’s Bazaar magazine (UK) awarded Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova with the publication’s prestigious “Inspiration of the Year” award. The 28-year-old beauty from Nizhny Novgorod earned the award for her role in building playgrounds in the poorest areas of Russia and England.

In 2005, Vodianova founded the Naked Heart Foundation, a charity that builds play areas in poverty-stricken towns and cities with the hopes of helping local children forget their troubles through play. To date, the foundation has established over 50 playgrounds in nearly 40 Russian towns and cities, including Vodianova’s hometown. A mother herself who grew up in poverty in urban Russia, Vodianova understands the importance of play to children of all ages.

In addition to the award, Harper’s Bazaar honored Vodianova by featuring her on the cover of the December 2010 issue of the magazine, where she appears as a golden Joan of Arc (photos below).

Vodianova rose to fame as a model at the age of 17 and has modeled for Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton, L'Oréal, Marc Jacobs, Diane von Fürstenberg, and Chanel, just to name a few. Forbes recently ranked Natalia as the seventh highest paid supermodel in the world.

Natalia Vodianova is proof that many Russian women are big-hearted as well as beautiful.